Go-live checklist


Run through this checklist to make sure that your system is set up properly before you start trading and entering ongoing business data.

System Defaults

  • Click "Setup" to configure your company defaults.
  • Ensure that the company contact email is not shared by any other contact. This company email address is what will be used to send order acknowledgements, order update emails and so on.
  • Check the Default tax rate, Credit Terms and Credit Limit are set (as this is used for new web contacts).

 

Contacts

  • Have you imported contacts from your previous system? If you're using Pearl for CRM then it's important to start out with as much information as you can get.
  • Decide whether to import customers from a previous ecommerce platform. Bear in mind that passwords will not be brought across to Pearl, and if a customer has already bought from you then they may be surprised to discover that they have been added to your new system but have a different password. If you do bring old customers across, you will need to send them a note to ask them to request a new password from the login sreen.
  • Create a Contact Tag for each Registration or Contact form on your website, so that you can see where your website leads are coming from. for new contacts created from website e.g. "lead - website".
  • Remember that contacts can't be both customers & suppliers - they need to be separate contacts in separate companies.

 

Products

Check that the products look ok. Things to watch out for:

  • All products need to have prices to be displayed on the web.
  • Check the price lists are correctly configured: inc/ex vat. This is at Products:Setup:Price lists
  • Check that suppliers have the correct price lists attached.

 

Website

  • Read the "bringing your website across to Pearl" guide. There are important things to bear in mind to maintain optimal search engine position and minimum disruption.
  • Test everything in several browsers e.g. IE 6, 7, 8, FireFox, Safari, etc.

 

Ecommerce: Shipping Methods

  • Breaks - make sure that the first break is 0 and the last break is 9999999 for all shipping methods.
    • Remember: shipping breaks are inclusive ie: up to & including the break value costs the corresponding price in the shipping prices.
    • Hence a Catch All shipping break must be set
    • Also, a zero break is necessary for breaks with
  • Countries - Ensure that all the relevant countries are enabled
  • Ensure all public facing messages are clear e.g. shipping method name, shipping method description and the comment added to orders.
  • Double check all steps have been followed on the Shipping Method help page.

 

Ecommerce: Payment Methods

  • Customise notification emails and check the "send from" email address.
  • If migrating from an existing system, log on to each of your current Payment Service Provider portals and check all settings, especially callback URLs.
  • Double check all steps have been followed on the Payment Methods help page.

 

Website: Smart Forms (Contact & Registration)

  • Ensure that the forms' registration & new contact creation settings are correct. Registration forms must be set to create contacts.
  • The feedback email address on your SmartForms need to be set to your email address - NOT info@thisispearl.com
  • Double check all steps have been followed on the Smart Form help page.

 

Ecommerce: Run a test sale

  • Check all payment methods work and check all shipping methods work for the desired regions.
  • Browse to product on the website, add to cart and checkout using dummy contact details (use a valid email address so that you can check the email notification).
  • Login to the Pearl Admin and click Sales :: List Sales. You should see the test web-sale. Check the following:
    • Sale uses the correct price list.
    • The order status has been updated
    • Products have been allocated if stock is being tracked
    • Payment method is correct
    • Notification email has been sent to the correct address
  • Once test sales have been made, you can reset your orders if you like. Go to Setup :: Import data (in reset/load section, bottom right)

 

Website: Domain name

Your site will have been built on your trial domain at http://companyname.pearlsoftware.net. When you go live you'll want to transfer an existing domain name across to our system so that your new Pearl website will appear at http://www.yourdomain.com

The DNS settings to use are:

NS.RACKSPACE.COM
NS2.RACKSPACE.COM

If you currently have any email addresses @yourdomain.com, then you will need to set email addresses up too.

 

Email addresses

You can set up your DNS so that another server manages your mail, whilst the Pearl servers manage your website. For more information on this, have a look at our email setup document. If you would just like a forwarding email address to be set up, so that allmail@yourdomain.com is redirected to an email address of your choice, then let us know before you transfer your domain name across to our servers!

We don't host your email, even if we host your website. We recommend using Google Apps (Corporate account). For more information on setting up your email, click here. Pearl will send emails from your main company email address regardless of how you choose to set up your email.

 

Website: Enhance your SEO

Having a great website is just part of the picture. It is vitial that you market your new website - start by reading this guide to the basics of SEO which steps your through the essential tasks to enhance your websites search rankings. Read more about how we can help with more advanced SEO techniques.